Tuesday, April 30, 2013

(Children playing sazaaloang or Hopscotch in a village in kashmir .A photograph of 1911 AD.)

To poor , Mother earth appears indifferent . This is not so . This indifference is always benign. She comes forward with everything .The birds , dancing Brooks, Shady trees , Green valleys and above all her own surface . She appears to say“ Come child! Draw your dreams on my Body and play your games. Here am I . ”

This game is played world over . In India, hopscotch is also known as Stapu, or Ekhat-Dukhat (meaning one two houses) and in Kashmir children used to call it SAZAALOANG . The game has a similar principle all over that player must hop on one foot and must throw the marker in the right square. This mostly is a girls' game in India, though some boys also play it in many areas . It was a favourite game of children in kashmir . All of us have played it at some point of time during our childhood.

It is widely believed that ancient Romans started this game wherefrom it travelled world over. To this photo i add a quatrain ( 4 Lines ) composed by me in kashmiri..

Though Dr Bernier ( 1625-1688 ) Physician to Mughal King
Aurangzeb had visited Kashmir , it
was only Dr William Elmslie
(1832-1872) who established the first
Allopathic dispensary in Kashmir.In fact he was the first Medical missionary in
Kashmir . He was followed by two
dedicated brothers Dr Arthur Neve and Dr Earnest Neve who stayed in Kashmir for about 3 decades
during later half of 19th centaury .These doctors and their Allopathic Medicines brought much needed relief and happiness to the
local population as a result of which
Local Hakims lost their brisk practice and earnings .A group
Hakims went to Maharaja and impressed upon him the superiority of
Ancient Unani system of Medicines over
what they called as Firangi Dawaasaazi .They asked Maharaja not to grant any
favours to outsiders.The Maharaja just
gave a patient hearing but encouraged the Allopathic doctors to expand their
practice .

In 1882 ,Dr Arthur
Neve arrived in kashmir and thereafter
in 1886 , he was joined by his brother
Dr Earnest Neve . These doctors
travelled extensively across entire length and breadth of Kashmir and Ladakh. Besides writing several medical
papers published in The Lancet, Dr
Arthur Neve (1859-1919 ) authored following Books

1 "Kashmir Ladakh and Tibet" (1899),

2 "Picturesque Kashmir" (1900),

3 "Thirty Years in Kashmir"
(1913),

4 "The Tourist's
Guide to Kashmir, Ladakh, Skardo &c"
(1923).

Dr Ernest Neve (1861-1946 )also wrote some
Books such as ..

1 "Beyond
the Pir Panjal. Life Among the Mountains and Valleys of Kashmir"
(1912)

2 "A
Crusader in Kashmir" (1928)This book
covers the story of his brother's life
and work.

3
"Things Seen in Kashmir" (1931).

Dr Arthur Neve
and his brother performed 30000
surgeries in kashmir which included 3651
Eye operations , 864 operations for Tumors and 579 Bone operations apart from
treating patients of Kangri cancers ,
Syphilis , leprosy and small pox. DR ARTHUR
NEVE fought the terrible outbreak
of cholera and famine in Kashmir during 1883.

Dr Arthur Neve and later Dr Earnest Neve would
start his day at 8 AM and was
at the MissionHospital till 10 PM
attending to patients , performing surgeries and moving in wards . Never had
kashmiris seen such care, attention , compassion and dedication from their own
local Hakims or Vaids . Their Hospital at Dal gate srinagar was later converted to ChestdiseaseHospital. They would also
frequently visit Baramulla , Anantnaag and other towns to see patients .Dr Earnest Neve spoke
fluent kashmiri and worked during the rule of Maharaja Partap Singh and
Maharaja Hari Singh.To
his patients ,this god sent doctor would say "zuvv vandaai...Balaai
lagaai..." Every kashmiri owes a debt to him.He would operate free and
carry sick patients from Dal lake Ghaat to hospital on his shoulders.Most of the patients would come in
small Boats though some used to come on Tongas during those days .Dr Earnest Neve was a vegetarian .Dr Arthur Neve writes in his Book ,

“Post 1885 earthquake , as
I moved through villages , the stench was awful , and might be smelt half a
mile away from the putrefying bodies of animals . I found men and women with dislocations
and fractures unreduced and unset ; the few survivors had been so stunned by
the calamity that they thought little of minor injuries .People gave special
offerings in shrines . For us , it was a time for deeds rather than for words ,
for sympathy than sermons . The boat that carried me , was converted to
hospital.”

DR ARTHUR NEVE fought the
terrible outbreak of cholera and famine in Kashmir during 1883 that killed
11700 persons .

Kudos to him for bringing
injectable cholera Vaccine to Kashmir that came to be known as TROMBUN in
Kashmiri..

( Vaccination in kashmir was started by Neve Brothers )

Walter Lawrence ( who spent more than six years in
Valley when Neve brothers were deeply
entrenched in serving kashmiris ) also
makes a mention of their work in his Book “valley of Kashmir”
published in 1895

“If I had had the privilege of
listening to Dr Neve before attempted to write my poor chapter on Physical
History in The Valley
of Kashmir, I should have
been able to write with much greater effect. From what I have seen myself, I
can testify to the great accuracy of Dr Neve’s account. I think this is a good
opportunity, before this great audience, for letting you know what the work of
the Medical Mission in Kashmir
is doing. I lived six years in that country and know the road from Kashmir to Gilgit and Ladak. Wherever I went there was
only one question. The people did not want to see me but they wanted to know
when Neve Sahib was coming – Neve Sahib who brought comfort and healing wherever
he went. Working with very little help, working in a very small way against
every hindrance, against the Brahman influence, the two Neves (Arthur Neve and
Ernest Neve) have won everything to them and now they have a grand hospital in Srinagar and when the
Neves are not going into the villages, the villagers are coming in to the
Neves.”

“ In many countries hospitals
were established within colonial motives but in Kashmir first a dispensary and
later a MissionHospital were established by the Medical
Missionary Society in order to provide modern medical care to the population
without much disturbing the availability of the indigenous system of medicine.
In many countries hospitals were established within colonial motives but in
Kashmir first a dispensary and later a MissionHospital
were established by the Medical Missionary Society in order to provide modern medical
care to the population without much disturbing the availability of the
indigenous system of medicine. Despite the practice of the Unani system of
medicine, allopathic medicine when first introduced into Kashmir
became extremely popular among the people. The missionary doctors who worked in
the dispensary and hospital, and particularly Arthur Neve, were committed to
serving the population and were devoted researchers who published their results
in internationally reputable journals – The Lancet, the British Medical Journal
and the Indian Medical Gazette. Arthur Neve also wrote Kashmir, Ladakh and Tibet (1899), Picturesque Kashmir (1900) and Thirty
Years in Kashmir (1913). Arthur Neve died suddenly
in Srinagar of
a fever 5th September 1919.
The Maharaja of Kashmir ordered a State Funeral. The mourners included people
from all classes, races and religions
who united to pay tribute to their
well-beloved and disinterested friend who had done so much for Kashmir and its people. The Obituary in the Geographical
Journal in 1919 noted: ‘He probably did more than any one who ever lived towards
the amelioration of suffering for various native races of that country among
whom his reputation was extraordinary.’

Dr Arthur Neve also finds mention
at Page 24 in the Book …
“ Trans-Himalaya: Discoveries and Adventures
in Tibet
’ By Sven Hedin.

“ Dr Arthur Neve is one of the
man I most admire . he has devoted his life to the Christian mission in Kashmir and his hospital ..... There he works indefatigably day and night and his only reward is the satisfaction of relieving the suffering of others . ”

Again Chapter " FIRE ,FLOOD AND CHOLERA " from the book TYNDALE BISCOE OF KASHMIR ..An Autobiography makes mention of Dr Arthur Neve as under

"In 1892 ,500 to 700 persons died of cholera per day in Kashmir valley.The mullahs and the Brahmin priest won't allow people to take western medicine .The mullah and the brahmin priest wrote Allah and Shiva on local paper and asked people to swallow it with Jhelum water that was already full of cholera germs.Later people started visiting Mission Hospital and lives of so many could be saved....... He was in third stage of cholera. The only option was blood transfusion. Dr Arthur Neve did it by opening a vein in his own Arm and transferring it with a rubber tube into his vein.Neve and I spent a night at the hospital and hoped for the best,but it was not to be."

The service rendered by Dr Arthur Neve
to ameliorate the pain and suffering of local population after the terrible earthquake of may 1885 has
no parallel anywhere .

And kashmiris forgot
these noble souls altogether . No memorial . No Hospital in their name .
And I believe No one knows these
names in Kashmir . Dr Arthur Neve died in 1919 in
Kashmir after being suddenly
struck down by fever.I end this post with lines from an Gazal of urdu poet Ahmed Faraz .

Sunday, April 14, 2013

Once you
leave Kokernaag ( District Anantnaag
, Kashmir , J&K )and move towards the mountains
,
you come to a place called VAILOO . In case you take the right turn from Vailoo ,
you reach Ahlam , the last habitation in this area. It is also
known as Ahlam Gadole . Gadole is
a main village near Ahlam. Gadole has
some kashmiri speaking population. Thereafter you confront Gujjars and Bakerwals only . They may speak
broken kashmiri but they are not kashmiris. They were nomadic tribes and lately these groups have constructed small houses in this area.

( A Thatched Roof House In sagaam Near Kokkernaag )

Ahlam is now a settlement of nomadic people just 6 kms away
from Gadole. After Ahlam , the mountain passes traversed on foot , lead you to
Kishtwar district. We were informed that now a Tunnel is being dug Near Ahlam
that shall keep all weather connectivity of Anantnaag town with Kishtwar . So no more to use Simthen pass if the Tunnel
comes up .Smithen top remains
snow bound in extreme winters.

And if you take a left turn near
Vailoo , you come to the NH1B leading to
SimthenPass .

.I remember having come to this
place with our college excursion in early seventies . Nothing has changed
except linking of this area throuh NH1B
leading to Kishtwar. Daksum lies on this NH1B.

DAKSUM ( Altitude 2438 Metres ) is a scenic spot located in the dense
forests. This scenic spot falls on the Anantnag-Sinthan-Kishtwar road. A
gushing stream flows through Daksum which is rich in trout fish. It is a forest
retreat girdled by mountains. If you
Travel on NH1B that connects Anantnaag Town of Kashmir with Kishtwar Via
Simthen Top ( Altitude 3748 Metres) , You
pass through Daksum ( just 36 Kms away from Anantnaag ). One can call it a sleepy forest resort with some houses and a Government Rest
House . The rest house is not properly maintained at the moment . When we
visited the area on 9th April 2013 , there
was no caretaker . The path and the steps leading to
the rest House from main road was broken and the Garden around it was not
maintained at all. Some villagers had put clothes for drying on the rest house
fencing. Narcissus or yemberzal had grown unattended in the garden.

We went close to Simthen Top which is 31 kms from Daksum. It
was spring time . Snow had not vanished from the mountains . A lady at Daksum
had suggested us to proceed . She added
that regular bus service shall also be started
shortly to kishtwar as the snow at Smithen Top was being cleared.

The road from Kokernnag to Simthen is blacktopped and in good shape . Gushing
water stream , Majestic pine trees , silence with occasional
chirping of some birds on pine tree tops
makes you feel in the lap of mother nature .

It was cold in April . We needed
woolens. We kept the car windows open to let fresh cold air enter in . Where is
the pollution ? Where is the sweltering heat of the plains ? Where is the noise
of the city roads ?Life had dropped all its demands of existence that it usually makes in cities and towns .

I end this post with lines from a Gazal of renowned urdu poet Firaq Gorakhpuri

Saturday, April 13, 2013

I do not know why am i coming to the movie 27 Down again and again. I wish the
talented director had lived to add his part of creative output to the Parallel
Cinema that emerged during seventies and early eighties .

I am informed that Avtar kaul was not only the director of
this movie , he had also arranged Finances from NFDC .He wrote the script and
dialogues. Personally selected the talented cast comprising of M K Raina ( 1970
Batch NSD Graduate and a man from Theatre) , Rakhee Gulzar , Sadhu Mehar ( He
shifted to Oriya cinema) , Om shivpuri, Rekha
sabnis and Sudhir Dalvi. He arranged the music from Bhuban Hari ( Hari Prasad
Chaurasia and Bubaneshwar Misra ). I saw this Black and White movie again
recently from the rescued version put on DVDs by NFDC.

The film came out at a time when Amitabh Bachan had begun
his rise to stardom .Shyam Benegal had set free his ANKUR on us. Amol Palekar's Rajnigandha had created a demand for new cinema .And Manoj Kumar had come with Roti kapda Aur Makaan , a new variant of entertaining cinema .

I liked the storyline ,screenplay and the dialogues .I am
informed that Avtar Kaul made it a point to shoot inside Bombay local trains and crowded Railway
stations to give the movie a realistic feel. The frames shot at Bombay’s VT station and
inside the crowded Local train give a sense of kinetics to the shots. Such
shots give you a feeling of commotion within and outside .

You confront silence
also . I believe this silence is corollary to settlement in a relation.. In a
relation if attitudes are identified and reflexes established to deal with them
, not much needs to be actually talked about . Silence then engulfs
togetherness . This phenomenon one observes in this movie . I confess being
guilty of not having seen this grand movie seriously on a previous occasion.

No character in this movie makes the usual filmi or impressive gestures .

“ Phir koyee pull hai
Kya ? Shayad Pull hi hai ”

“ Has another bridge
Come ? Looks like a bridge only “

( A dialogue from the
movie )

A routine traveller seeks to confirm his assessment by the
thud and sound of the train that he is used to.. This traveler has been
crossing bridges daily without reaching Anywhere .

“People reach some
destination after a day’s or night’s journey . But I continue to leave one
dream to enter another .”

Fathers generally choose their own profession for their
children ignoring the preferences and likes of the child. In a sense it is
forced upon the child. Here in this movie the hero Sanjay faces this from his
Father.

Anna ( Sanjay’s father ) is a train-driver and works for the
Railways. One day his train meets with an accident and his right leg gets
paralyzed. When Sanjay grows up, Anna wants his son to join the Railways as a
Ticket Checker. Sanjay on the other hand wants to carry forward his
artistic career but his father, decisively wants him to join Railways .His
father believes that such a job shall give security and a handsome salary . And
a good salary with a secured job would mean an ideal life for his son. Put to
passionate pressure from his father ,Sanjay takes up the railway job. Annoyed
and discontented with a monotonous life he feels, he is heading nowhere until
he meets Shalini.

Sanjay befriends the commuting typist Shalini.They meet often and explore having a
relationship. Thinking that Shalini wants to marry him, he accompanies her to
meet her grandfather and two children. He is shocked when Shalini introduces
him as a married man, working as her co-worker. Sanjay, in disbelief wants to know why Shalini lied about his martial status and employment with the
Railways. Sanjay's father comes to know about this relationship.He puts pressure on Sanjay to marry a village girl chosen by him. When sanjay faces his father
Ana ( Om shivpuri ) who tells him what future
holds for him, Just two words slip from his tongue..

“Par Ana ( Then Ana ) "

This village girl resembles the buffaloes she brings as her
dowry. Sanjay escapes in yet another train journey but when he meets Shalini again, he finds they have
nothing in common any more.

( People start from one destination and reach the other . Look at me . I start from any place and go anywhere )

The unexpected Zoom Ins , Zoom Outs and freeze frames give a
moving visual sense to this film. Avtar Kaul learnt this technique possibly during his apprenticeship with Ivory Merchant
production BOMBAY TALKIE ( Sashi kapoor , Jennifer Kendal , Aparna Sen and
Utpal Dutt ) . Avtar kaul also worked as
Assistant to James Ivory .Had he lived , he would have certainly made films
that would have been middle of commercial and Art cinema.

The film won National Awards for Best Film and Cinematography
in 1974...

Prof Jaya Parimu Adds:

"Avtar was pushed by a wave against the stone wall and he had an instantaneous death.
January , February and march 1974 we got to be with him often at Sam's restaurant Jehangir Art Gallery.Kurta,pyjama and a cotton cloth bag hanging over his shoulder.He was financially broke ,waiting for the premiere of his movie and eventual release .He and we Samavor goers all attended première and Avtar was thrilled by the overwhelming response.Excited and happiest he was with astounding reviews about his movie,but destiny had something else stored in for him ."

I am adding some lines from a poem HISTORY by noted Bulgarian Poet Nikola Vaptsarovto this write up. ...

( HISTORY )

History, will you mention us

In your faded scroll?

We worked in factories, offices –

Our names were not well known.

We worked in fields.

For the hardship and affliction

We do not seek rewards,

Nor do we want our pictures

In the calendar of years.

Just tell our story simply

To those we shall not see,

Tell those who will replace us –

We fought courageously.

( HISTORY is a famous poem composed by noted Bulgarian Poet Nikola Vaptsarov 1909-1942 )

( A navreh Plate filled for THAAL BHARUN Ritual in a kashmiri Pandit family )

NAVREH MUBARAK TO ALL

SPRING TIME FESTIVAL CALLED NAVREH IN KASHMIR
.

Photographs Autar
Mota

Sethaa Pathhaa kaalie akh vassie samandhar

Sati Hundh ouss Athh Nakhaa Loall Maaleun

Tavaai assis vanaan saari satisar

Kohuss pyath Baal Teintalein Thhoangein Pyaath

Basaan Tappa Reish Soaraan Dayya Naav Har Dham

( Lines from Opera Vitasta By Dina Nath Naadim )

This land of ours , A vast lake in ancient times,

With sati’s adorable homeland nearby .

And for this reason also known as SATISAR,

On peaks and mountain tops around the lake ,

Lived venerating Rishis meditating day and night …

Navreh is a welcome to soanth or the spring season of Kashmir. You have a blooming Kashmir
in SOANTH. The Almonds ,Apricots and the Mustard fields. Mountain peaks
reflecting snow.. Kashmiris would say goodbye to winter and welcome life with
flowers everywhere .

For kashmiri Pandits , it is celebrated as the first day of
5000 year old SAPT RISHI LUNAR Calendar . Kashmiri Pandit children would
generally put on new clothes. Apart from this, the day would begin with BUTHH
VUCHHUN Ritual. Once you got up from the bed in the morning , Mothers or elders
would ask you to first see a plateful of rice with a photograph of family deity
,Almanac ( Jantri ), coin ,pen , Yemberzal or narcissus flowers , walnuts ,
curd , milk and a herb ( Vaai Gandir ) . Looking at this THAALI or PLATE was a
must immediately after getting up in the morning . It is considered auspicious
for the family . The Plate or Thaali is kept at a central place in the house .
The ritual of filling the thaali or plate with so many items is called THAAL
BHARUN.

A somewhat similar festival called NAVROAZ is also
celebrated since ancient times in

IRAN and
parts of Central Asia, Caucasus and Northwestern China.
Novroaz marks the first day of spring and the beginning of the year in the
Iranian calendar. Originally being a Zoroastrian festival, and the holiest of
them all, Navroaz is believed to have been invented by Zoroaster himself,
although there is no clear date of origin. The ritual of Thaal Bharun or
filling of the plate by kashmiri Pandits is somewhat similar to the Iranian
ritual of Haft Sin.

Gates of Akbar’s Hari Parbat fort in srinagar, kashmir were opened today and
accordingly people would go inside the Qila( Fort ) apart from visiting Badaam
Vaari , Sharika Temple, Makhdoom sahib’s Ziyarat and Gurudwara Chhati
Paadshaahi. Is it so now?

Agar Doahan Assi Hisaab Bozuv,

Doah Yimay Aiss Evaan Sonteik,

Shuhul Havaa Ous Hanth Bremijin,

Vachhuss Divaan Sar Te Daal Maraan,

Bepuchh Bahaaruss Harud Vanaan Aous,

‘Kapas Vovithh Chha Badan Valaan Khaah’ ,

Mushuk Valith Aav Vaav Sountuk,

Ditchin Bashaarat.

Yimav Qadam Kaed garav Neubar,

Tim Na Aayee Phirithh,

Na Tchhaend Soantan .

( Farooq Nazki lines from Poem Naad laayeiy or I shall call
you back )